The Demoneye
by meriyanna
Summary: 'He braced himself with one hand while compulsively trying to keep the blood from leaving his body. I could feel the way it pooled on the ground beneath him. I ached for it.' I do not own the HxH characters.


So, I had to write this. While I was trying to figure out where to go with my HisoGon fic I had an idea for a character I thought would be interesting. This is my second fanfic and my first time using my own character and inserting them into a previously established story line. I would appreciate reviews for this!

As always, italics are designated for specific words, inner thoughts, or flashbacks/dreams. There is a second POV in this story separated by horizontal lines, so I hope there is no confusion. I'm not sure if I want to continue having the additional POV if there are future chapters, I may just make it an omnipresent narrator while remaining in first person for the main character. Like I said, reviewing will be greatly appreciated!

* * *

Oh my god...my eyes..What happened to my eyes?

_"What did you do to me?" I heard someone cry over and over. I turned my head in every direction find the source of the agonized screaming when the pain in my throat told me it was my own voice, grating like knives against my eardrums. I tried to open my eyes once more, but my sight did not return._

_Shaking, my hands made their way up to my face and with aching slowness they explored the deep, empty sockets that used to contain my eyes. Unconsciously, I attempted another scream, but a new pain told me my vocal chords were useless. I'd shredded them with my desperate cries._

_My hands sunk down to my sides and though I was already kneeling, my legs could not support me and I collapsed onto unfamiliar ground. What had I been standing on before he stole my sight? Dirt? Grass? Concrete? Every thing I touched seemed so foreign without my eyes to identify._

_"Should we kill her?" I heard a voice over me. A woman maybe?_

_"No, the doll is complete, she's useless now." Even as the voice dismissed me, I felt terror._

It's _him_...he did this to me. Who is he? What's his name?

_"Come, Omokage. We have more to make." This speaker was so soft-spoken, his gentle voice almost calmed me had he not been the companion of my tormentor._

_I felt their presence disappear almost immediately and the shock I felt at their sudden departure was overthrown by the grief-stricken sobs that escaped me. I reached up to wipe my tears and tore my hand back in disgust. There were no tears, only sunken eyelids covering the dark red concavity of my empty sockets._

I felt morning sunlight on my skin and awoke to a day of darkness. It had been two years since my sight was stolen from me and with a few exceptions, my dreams were the only places I could still see. This latest dream, however, was as devoid of sight as my waking state. I had it every night since I left my master and I liked to think of it as fuel. Fuel to keep me diligent in the search for my eyes. Fuel for the hate that burned inside me.

I could not remember anything before the darkness, though I was beginning to creep into my twenty-second year. By the time my master had found me, more than a month had passed. I'd spent those days in a feral, animalistic state, and embraced the darkness that once consumed me. I was not only accustomed to it, I controlled it.

After years of non-stop training, one day my master left as quickly as he came. He presented me with a staff that I'd recognized as the wooden one I'd carved for myself the year prior, though he'd made some modifications. The staff was coated with a white enamel that he described as "opalescent" and it was much heavier. On closer inspection I found that twisting it thirteen and a quarter centimeters down activated a spring which released and pushed the handle up, revealing the base of a slim blade. After this discovery, he vanished.

That was one month ago and in that month I'd found my way to Heavens Arena, a suggestion from my master. In two years I'd never spoken of the emotions behind my ardent need to become stronger but he'd seen me at my lowest point and it was my belief that he trained me to fulfill my quest for revenge. For unknown reasons, he invested his time in me and sent me to Heavens Arena to further hone my skills. He wanted me to become stronger and I would not disappoint.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by a page from the intercom just outside my room in the common area. Less than an hour until my next my last match, my skills were reassessed and I was now scheduled to fight someone on the 200th floor I wiggled my toes and set my feet on the floor, sauntering over to the chest of drawers.

My wardrobe consisted mainly of silks. The feel against my skin was pure ecstasy after a long battle. I dressed in a cotton bra and underwear and slipped over a silk dress that skimmed the middle of my thighs and finished it with a kimono jacket that I kept loose and un-belted. I liked the flow of the fabric as I walked. I didn't bother with shoes.

Making my way down to the arena I whistled and walked with my walking stick crossing behind my back, my wrists resting on it comfortably. Once I felt people in close proximity I cast out my _nen_ in a special skill my master had told me was necessary to maintain. Being blind meant that every sense was magnified, even more so if you knew how to wield _nen_. With the skill I called Divinity I could use my _nen_ as an extension of myself. I could taste ice cream smeared at the corner of someones mouth, feel their heartbeat as if it were my own, and hear everything they said as if I'd said it. If someone found themselves within fifteen meters of me I all but became them.

I felt the thrumming of scared hearts as I passed and smiled to myself. _Good. They should be afraid_. Though I was small in stature, coming in at an unimpressive 1.7 meters, when I fought I became an animal. Under the fierce guidance of my master I learned to withstand immense amounts of pain, electricity, and even some poisons under his regimen. I had stamina enough to outlast anyone I faced and the pain tolerance to keep my mind clear enough for victory. In hand-to-hand-combat I was proficient, but I was unmatched with my one-handed sword, though I hadn't needed to use it in my short time here.

The arena was packed when I entered. The crowd roared with excitement, I was the first contestant to arrive.

"Akimi has arrived at the arena first! Will she begin her normal, ritual-like routine before her opponent gets here?" The announcer questioned the audience. I answered her by walking to the center of the battle ground and set my walking stick down.

The words of my master rang clear in my mind: _The body is the world. It is only through the body that you are connected to this world. Through the body, you exist. If meditation is not deeply rooted within the body it will become like a dream floating in the mind._

I exhaled and began slow movements, almost agonizingly so. It began with influences from tai chi and yoga for acute muscle control, then took on a faster pace. My kimono jacket began to sway and I could feel the fabric skim across the smooth skin of my legs. A smile crept on my lips and with a deep breath I swung myself around transferring combat techniques into more fluid movements. A rhythm began to pulse through me as my body and mind became one.

* * *

_Interesting_. I'd bought tickets for this match to see her fight when I heard she was skipping 70 levels for this match, but now I was more intrigued by her odd performance. This blind woman whose hair nearly reached the bottom of her haori wore no shoes, yet she covered her eyes. Most of the seeing-impaired did not bother with such a trivial gesture. _Interesting_ _indeed_.

"Here comes the other contestant, Masaru! Also known by his fans as Masaru the Machine or simply the Monster! He towers over young Akimi at an even 2 meters tall and has much more experience in the arena, accidentally killing two of his opponents! Well, we'll call it accidental in any case!" The crowd roared as he strode onto the platform.

Akimi slowed her movements and with a graceful back handspring she grasped her cane and pushed off, somersaulting in the air before landing smoothly on her feet. Her actions made me frown as they seemed superfluous. I watched her rub the collar of her jacket between her thumb and forefinger, seemingly calm. Looking at her opponent and knowing close to little about either fighting style, logic dictated Masaru had the upper hand.

* * *

I let my _Divinity_ tell me everything I needed to know about Masaru. He was very tall and an enhancer. Based on the level of _nen_ currently running through him I suspected he didn't know how to utilize it very well, but in addition to his strength it would be enough to break bone. I could hear his clothes shift when he began his attack. Five meters. Three meters. When he was just barely in arms length I jumped straight up and brought my cane down hard on his skull.

I heard a satisfactory crack and a grunt from Masaru before I used the momentum to back flip and land a safe distance away. "It looks like the ref has designated that a critical hit! Two points to Akimi!" Masaru held his head and when he pulled his hand away I could smell the blood. _Uh-oh_. As a rule given to me by my master, I tried not to make anyone bleed.

He growled at me and concentrated more _nen_ to his fits before lurching toward me again. Faster this time. I noticed, crouching down at the last second. I stretched my leg out and quickly rotated, hitting Masaru's legs hard and sending him forward. He put his hands out in time to brace himself before hitting the ground. I swung my cane down to the middle of his back and his arms gave way, sending his face into the arena floor.

"That's another two points! Oh, the referee designated only a single point for that last hit." My head turned toward the referee. If I'd had eyes I would have been glaring, but I think I got my point across. I felt him shrink back slightly. "It looks like Akimi disagrees with the ref!"

During that uncharacteristic show of irritation, Masaru grabbed the bottom of my cane and threw me with such force I was unable to keep hold. I flew to the other side of the arena and landed slightly unbalanced on my feet. Masaru held my cane in one hand and brought it up, then back down to his other hand. He repeated this gesture as he walked a semicircle around me. I sprang forward, feinting left and right. He held my cane with both hands like a baseball bat and pulled back to swing. I slid under his legs and hooked my foot around his to propel myself upward. I grabbed my cane and used the leverage from my upswing to wrench it from his hands.

As I pulled the cane away I felt a tug on my silk scarf. My hand flew up to cover my eyes with an audible smack and through the distraction I noticed Masaru's attack too late. His fist came down and made contact with my side, easily cracking the ribs.

He jumped back when I swung my cane out in a weak attempt to counter. I heard an announcement for Masaru's two points and began to laugh. He had unknowingly met the second requirement for the skill I had yet to use; Blood Bath. My laughter turned maniacal as I dropped my hand away from my eyes. I lifted my head and the arena fell silent. I knew what they saw. The dark abyss of two empty sockets. Slowly, I twisted my cane and pulled the hidden blade inside. The crowd remained quiet.

"_Blood Bath.._" I whispered and felt the aura flood through me. I lunged toward Masaru, reaching him in less than a second, and with swift movements he had three deep wounds in his chest. His hands desperately tried to contain the blood spilling out and I tasted the warm metallic blood on my tongue as it filled his mouth. _More. I need more_. I sliced his leg, severing the artery and felt the blood spray onto me. Masaru let out a cry of pain and his leg gave out. He braced himself with one hand while compulsively trying to keep the blood from leaving his body. I could feel the way it pooled on the ground beneath him. I ached for it.

I wiped the blood from my blade onto the sleeve of my haori and re-sheathed it. With one finger I pushed Masaru down and when he fell I went with him, draping myself across his body to feel his blood on me. I crawled higher and with my face next to his I whispered, "When _Blood Bath_ is active, every ounce of blood you lose by my hand drains your _nen_ as well. And every drop that is spilled on me, increases my power."

When I heard his breathing become shallower I knew his death was near. I dug my hands into one of the wounds on his chest, needing to feel him as he died, and squeezed the organs inside though he was too close to death to react. Abruptly, his heart stopped and I removed my hands, only slightly shocked with my actions. _Blood Bath_ was a consuming ability and I allowed it to take me deeper into the darkness. _I normally have better control over it..._

I pulled my scarf from his hand and wrapped it around my head, then stood to face the crowd. I stayed long enough to hear that I'd won before I walked out, Masaru's blood dripping with each step.


End file.
